British condom-manufacturer Durex has announced a recall of its products from shelves in Germany and Singapore over concerns they do not meet the required standards for protection.

After a long, stressful day at work, you’re ready for some quality time with your significant other. What you do doesn’t matter; you just want to be around someone who loves and understands you. And then, your partner walks in the door, visibly exasperated from an equally high-stress day at the office — and desperate for some time alone. What just happened?

You know the routine: losing weight means chowing down on fewer calories than you’re burning. But if you’re not smart about it, even the best-intentioned plans can backfire.

Average penis size. You’ve thought about it, we’ve thought about it, and the truth is it’s really not worth worrying about. Especially since most of the claims around an average man’s member are a load of bollocks.

Women are being warned against risky cosmetic "rejuvenating" procedures to reshape and tighten the vagina.

Experts say the "therapies", offered by some private clinics in the UK and the US, pose a serious risk of burns, scarring and recurring pain.

Typically during these procedures, a probe is inserted into the vagina to heat or laser the vaginal tissue.

Although it is non-surgical and can be done in a lunch hour, it is not necessarily safe, say officials.

Laser and energy-based devices have been approved for use in destroying pre-cancerous cells in cervical or vaginal tissue, as well as genital warts, but they have not undergone testing for rejuvenation therapies.

Serious harm

US regulator the FDA says it will take action if deceptive marketing of the "dangerous procedure with no proven benefit" continues.

It says a growing number of manufacturers have been claiming the procedure can treat conditions and symptoms related to menopause, urinary incontinence or sexual function.

"These products have serious risks and don't have adequate evidence to support their use for these purposes. We are deeply concerned women are being harmed," says the FDA warning.

Paul Banwell, consultant plastic surgeon and member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, shared the FDA's concerns: "There has been an exponential rise in the interest in women's health and sexual well-being and whilst this should be encouraged, it is vital that any educational and treatment initiatives are provided in a sensitive manner free of any misleading or marketing hyperbole."

Dr Vanessa Mackay, from the UK's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said: "There is no evidence to suggest that non-surgical 'vaginal rejuvenation' devices are effective in improving vaginal muscle tone or reshaping vaginal tissue. If women are concerned about the appearance or feel of their vagina, they should speak to a healthcare professional. It is important to remember, however, that every woman's vagina is different. Labia are as individual as women themselves and vary in appearance and colour.

"To strengthen the muscles around the vagina, women are encouraged to try pelvic floor exercises which can help to improve muscle tone and sensitivity during sex."

How to do pelvic floor exercises:

Sit or stand comfortably with knees slightly apart and then draw up the pelvic floor muscles as if trying to avoid passing urine

It is important not to tighten the stomach, buttock or thigh muscles during the exercises

Do 10 slow contractions, holding them for about 10 seconds each

The length of time can be increased gradually and the slow contractions can then be followed by a set of quick contractions

The whole process should be carried out three or four times a day

Tips for a strong pelvic floor

Vaginal dryness is a common but treatable problem that many women experience at some point in their lives.

It can be caused by a number of things including the menopause, breastfeeding, childbirth, not being aroused before sex and some types of contraception.

Women are encouraged to try self-help options before seeing a healthcare professional, including vaginal moisturisers and lubricants. If these aren't effective, a doctor may prescribe vaginal oestrogen, says the RCOG.

A woman who wants to divorce her husband of 40 years because she says their marriage is unhappy has lost her case. Supreme court judges “reluctantly” told her she must remain his wife, because a joyless marriage is not adequate grounds for a divorce if one spouse refuses to agree.

Pregnancy and childbirth are some of our Maker’s greatest wonders in a woman. Children are also expression of the love between couples.

BMW Club Ghana (BMWCGH) last weekend stormed the Kumasi metropolis to execute what they tagged as “Delivering Hope” and “Supporting Law Enforcement”, donating to charity causes and giving towards road safety efforts.

Planning a dream wedding can be a costly endeavour but the good news is the less expensive the wedding, the more likely the marriage is to last.

Maybe it’s time to pack in the formal dress codes and just let people work in clothes they find comfortable.

Think about how much more you could get done without the pain of wearing heels or having to sweat through a suit.

Some evidence to bring up to your boss: According to a new report published in Neuroradiology, wearing a tie might be limiting workers’ creative abilities.

It’s thought that wearing a tie squeezes the neck veins and limits the blood flow, potentially slowing down the brain’s processing and limiting your thinking skills.

Scientists at the University scanned the brains of 30 healthy young men, 15 of whom were instructed to wear comfortable open-collared shirts, and the other 15 who were asked to wear ties in a Windsor knot, tightened to a point of slight discomfort.

They found that the group wearing ties had 7.5% less blood flow to their brain. Whoa. But before you race to HR and tell them wearing a tie is going to kill you, it’s worth noting some important things about this study.

First off, the sample size is teeny-tiny – a group of 30 men is not enough to generalise to the wider public.

The researchers deliberately asked men to wear their ties at a point of slight discomfort, which may not be the way the average man would wear theirs – although perhaps it is a warning against tying your tie too tightly.

The study also didn’t go into the actual impact of reduced blood flow, such as analysing people’s reaction times and decision-making skills.

While we know that reduced blood flow can reduce brain function, we don’t know for sure that the small reduction in blood flow caused by a tight tie would actually have an effect.

So, results with a pinch of salt. But do feel free to present this to your boss if you’re making an anti-tie presentation.

If you’re feeling uncomfortable because of your dress code, it’s tricky to get work done to the best of your ability – so it really is worth managers’ while to adjust fashion rules to fit workers’ needs.